Reports and Wild Rides
by Kitsune Swift
Summary: A look into the workings of the Nemesis. "The declaration makes me pause once more. Normally… Prime is the talkative one.." G1 AU Mainly focused on the Seekers, but I try to focus on other characters as well.
1. Warped

I hate paperwork. I hate it just as much as any other 'con on base. I just happen to be the one who actually_ does_ it, regardless. Besides Soundwave of course... I swear Soundwave is a paperwork drone in disguise. I don't know how he has time to do all of his paperwork and still do his other duties, all before recharge. Drives me nuts!

But... I am happy to announce, I am completely caught up. I just have to give my data pad to Soundwave, and then I can go to the rec room and join the others for a nice cube of high grade. Megatron's way of saying "Good Job" as we'd kicked major aft against the Autobots today.

Catching sight of Skywarp, I stopped. I honestly don't want to know what's going on in the glitch ridden processor of his, but I felt the need to stop. He was standing with the Cassette twins, and that was never a good sign of things to come... "What are you three doing?" I asked, tone blank. They didn't seem like they'd joined the party as of yet, so they were sobber... I really didn't want to know... there was ribbon in on of the twins hands...

"Uh, nothin TC. We're not doing anything," Skywarp said with a grin. He knew I didn't believe him... but I shrugged and continued my journey to find Soundwave. I just did _not_ want to know.

Even all the way out in the housing corridor, I could hear other mechs getting sloshed. Decepticon camaraderie usually dictated yelling, sometimes... dreadful and out of key _singing_ and what the human species calls "bar brawls". Tonight sounded like it was the _singing..._ Primus, I don't know if I want to go over there anymore...

Soundwave's quarters were always... creepy was putting it lightly. He never seemed to have the lights on, and even the door going in seemed dark and dreary. I guess it was the one place our 3 in command felt he could be himself. I assume he has an aversion to lights... Either way, it was disconcerting whenever I had to drop reports off to his quarters and not his office...

"Enter," his monotone voice said before I'd even tapped the door. I'm one of those that believes Soundwave is a psychic. He just seems to _know_ things... like when someone's outside his door without any indication. He also knew how to read a mech just by looking at them. Hell, he was the one who gave us warning whenever Starscream's glitch took over and started acting treacherous. Every time he's warned us, Screamer would be seen doing something that would put him in Megatron's bad grace for a while.

"Sir, the Seekers reports are compiled in this data pad. I was told to drop it off here..." I said, sounding unsure. I winced inwardly. Soundwave nodded and extended a hand, expecting the data pad to be handed over. I did so without a word.

Soundwave's room is very... decorative. Not many mechs come to this room... I think I'm one of maybe 4 in total beside the cassettes... so many of us see him as a blank personality... but whenever I have to fill in for Starscream in delivering reports to him, I find something new added to the room. Like that human baseball. I can just barely see what looks like a human signature gracing the dirty white ball...

"Thundercracker: Dismissed." And with that, I hurried out of the dark room. Heh, who knew Soundwave liked human baseball enough to acquire a signed ball? It was almost worth snickering about in the hallway, but I have a feeling Soundwave and his creepy knowledge would find out and I'd be in for it. So I continued to the rec room in silence, contemplating the others I passed by.

It was a bit late at this point... the others have been partying for around an hour. I'm slow at paperwork, and the fact Starscream had been knocked for a bit of a loop in battle had landed him unable to do his own paperwork. Being Starscream's second in command for the throng of seekers, I fell next in line with the battle paperwork. I honestly have to wonder what happens to all of these reports...

"TCeee!" I cringed at the sound of Swindle on high grade. He couldn't handle energon very well, and was always causing quite a stir. "You're missin' the best party eeeevverrrrr!" He was surrounded... and not by his usual gang of Combaticons... He had Runabout and Runamuck on both sides (both twins looking rather energized as well), Barricade (who was remarkably sober) behind them, keeping all three from stumbling forward, which was a remarkably noble thing for the interceptor, and Ravage at their feet "sitting pretty".

"Here!" Runamuck (at least I assumed it was Runamuck... I could never remember which was which) said loudly, shoving his half finished cube into my canopy. "You need to get wasted!"

"But that was yours!" Swindle shouted, rather aghast. "Now what're _you _going to drink to get wasted?" Runamuck looked truly stumped for a moment before snatching his cube back from my grasp.

"My cube!" he shouted, looking offended. "Get your own! Slagger... trying to steal my drink..." Sometimes I wondered about my fellow Decepticons...

"I can't believe these idiots..." Barricade mumbled, bringing a hand up to his helm. The three promptly stumbled forward without the mustang's hold on them, sprawling all over the floor. "I swear, I quit. No more good deeds..."

I gave him a look, "What's the matter? Don't like insanity at its best? You feeling ok? Normally you're into big parties."

"Oh, I'm just as wasted as they are, believe me," he stated with a smirk. Ah, he did have that fog in his optics. He's just remarkably stable. "I just figured they needed babysitters... They're the ones I assumed would stir up trouble and I didn't want to deal with the after effects."

"Huh, well then. I commend you for your bravery," I snorted, turning to move through to the rec room. Barricade hummed a response, but I didn't catch it as my com-unit buzzed to life.

**"Thundercracker,"** I groaned. Starscream was apparently awake again. **"I need you to come down to Storage 4."**

**"Acknowledged... be there in a few clicks."** Slag it all... I was so close too... Oh well, better to go see what Screamer wants. He didn't sound to foggy (that hit had really knocked him and he had been making very little sense when Warp and I had brought him to Hook), so apparently he was fine...

I passed Barricade, who was barely keeping one of the twins from falling on his aft, and avoided the snatching arm of Swindle (he was on the ground still and was scrabbling for something to help him back up it seemed). "Have fun," the other twin said with what sounded like a giggle.

Storage 4 was only a small walk out. Near to the med bay, and a few corridors away from the rec room. Normally, there was nothing very spectacular about it. It was a storage room, and being close to the med bay, it held many surgical supplies, as well as a few miscellaneous items. It was spacious compared to other storage rooms, being about as big as the rec room, but not a very normal place for a meeting. As I entered though, I took in Starscream's rather bemused expression. Megatron himself was here as well, and he had one hand covering his optics in what seemed exasperation.

I then caught sight of my third wing. Skywarp grinned cheekily at me with a small wave. "Hiya TC!" He was half in a wall. Well, that was different. When was the last time Skywarp had become one with the scenery in a warp?

"Where's Rumble and Frenzy?" I asked immediately, bringing a quick scowl to my black and purple wing mate. Megatron pointed upward and let out a suffering sigh. I followed his gaze as I heard Starscream snicker into his hand. Frenzy's aft was sticking out of the ceiling. One leg was lazily moving back and forth, presumably in boredom.

Before I could ask about Rumble, Starscream pointed at the far wall. I couldn't see anything (and apparently Megatron didn't either as we both shared a confused glance), and I was just turning my gaze back to Starscream when I heard it... _**Bang!**_ It made me jump and I saw Megatron give the wall a strange look. "What the...?" I asked quietly.

Megatron brought a hand back up to his optics and let out another long sigh. It took a moment before it dawned on me as well. Rumble was stuck over there... But judging from the position, he was stuck... in the hull plating?? Well, that explained Starscream's presence even when I was fairly certain Hook would have kept in the med bay... Hook, being in the med bay, which was literally next door through that particular wall, had probably heard the banging and called Megatron. To which, the commander had probably dragged Starscream with him to this room in the following search for the reason. But it seemed our glorious leader hadn't put two and two together when they found the current scene.

"Skywarp!" I am not ashamed at this point to note that my vocal processor squeaked in a rather embarrassing way. "What the slag did you do??"

Skywarp scowled some more at me. "Wasn't me... Glitch-heads panicked half-way through a warp and we ended up like this."

Starscream scoffed and Megatron asked, "Where were you warping too?" His tone held no accusation, which was my only clue that he wasn't going to offline my trine mate... it also told me he found this situation fairly amusing. At least Megatron was still in a good mood (thank Primus we'd won this last skirmish with Autobot forces)... _**Bang!**_

"Well.. you see..." Warp fidgeted earning an annoyed glare from Megatron.

"You were going to prank someone," Starscream interjected, wings quivering (which easily said he was utterly amused with Warp's situation as well, though I could also feel it through our trine link, as could Warp), "The twins had second thoughts and tried to pull out and leave you with the consequences, but they did so just as you warped."

"Yeah," our third said glumly, "And the results through off my warp coordinates, and we ended up like this..." He waved a hand around the room. _**Bang!**_

"For the love of Primus can we get him out of there already??" a new voice yelled and I jumped at finding Hook suddenly beside me. How he got there with no sound was beyond me... Not even Warp could startle me any more... "His banging on the walls is driving me nuts!"

Megatron locked optics with the medic, "Are any of them in any danger Hook?" The medic hesitated before shaking his head negatively, "Then I believe, there is a party we must all attend in the rec room. We'll get them out when it ends. If any of us remember."

Starscream, Hook and myself watched our leader casually walk out of the storage room, each of us slack jawed. Two more bangs, one sounding ominous as it came from Frenzy above, echoed around Skywarp's cry of indignation. "But! But we wanna go to the party toooo!" Starscream snickered again before Hook huffed in annoyance, practically dragging our air commander out the door in the same direction as Megatron. I sighed, before following as well, ignoring the whines of my wing mate and the cassette twins.


	2. Loss

_**A/N: Ok, here's another one shot. The idea came to me (it was the first to actually surface in this one-shot line, though I have put it as the 2nd chapter) the other night. I was listening to Nickelback's song "Never Gonna Be Alone" and this came out. It is a tragedy that will be revisited in various one shots (as I've decided, this is not a story line, but the one shots are all connected in some way or another). This one is a bit shorter than the first, but that's because I'm not a fan of writing Lazorbeak's POV, cause he doesn't seem to have much of a personality in G1 or even Armada... But I had to do it ^.^ .**_

_**Note; This is primarily the G1 'verse but you will undoubtedly find things from various continuities, such as the 07 movie and Armada. Little things, but you never know. Anyway, go read! Oh, and please review if you can!**_

///

It is apparent to me that we all have forgotten to take this war seriously.

The battle had been just like any of the ones proceeding it... all mechs in a free for all brawl with each other. Lord Megatron battling head on with Optimus Prime. The Seekers flying over head, causing over all chaos for all ground troops (and occasionally firing on the Aerial Bots). Ground troops hunched behind make shift bunkers, throwing volley fire at the opposite side.

Then, one of the Autobot snipers had gotten lucky. The silver bot (Bluestreak is the name all of the Decepticons are hissing in the corridors, so I assume it is he) had aimed and shot at one of the flying seekers overhead before turning to provide cover fire for the mech that turned invisible (Mirage if my memory is correct). All of us stopped fighting as the scene began with a loud bang.

Ramjet had been the Seeker hit. We learned later through Starscream, the shot had connected somewhere near where the fuselage and the cockpit came together, causing Ramjet's spark to destabilize in an unbelievable amount of time. The Cone-head trine leader had let out a yelp and swerved into his second wing, Thrust. At the cry of indignation from Thrust, the two began tumbling to the ground, Ramjet emitting very dangerous looking sparks from his wings and cockpit.

They hit the ground with a large explosion, caused by the sparking spark chamber. The few soldiers in the area (from both sides), fled as quick as they could.

Dirge, who was affected through their trine-link, let out the most mournful sound most of us had heard in a long time before seemingly falling to the ground. Starscream caught him (but only just) as Thundercracker and Skywarp flew over the wreckage. From the formation they pulled into (none the likes we'd ever seen before, yet we somehow understood its meaning), Thundercracker and Skywarp matching pace before they did a series of barrel rolls and fake drops, we all knew neither Cone-head had survived.

Optimus had called a retreat at that point. The Autobots didn't get far before Starscream and his trine (the second in command had given Dirge to a waiting Constructicon, most probable, Hook) decended upon them, reigning angered attacks upon now open ranks. The three Seekers remained in tight formation, something near unheard of at this point of the war, performing acrobatics most fliers would trouble with, ridding any doubt as to just why they were command. All of us watched, still to shocked to do anything but. Two of our number...

The two lost were friends with many of the 'cons. I have observed every Decepticon on this base, and I knew Thrust and Ramjet were friends with every social clique the base held (which is a surprising number). To lose them so suddenly had put everyone in a form of shock.

The Aerial Bots were what finally allowed the Autobots escape. They swooped in to intercept the Seeker trine and were enough to force the jets back. A hit to the wing had sent Starscream down, bringing a gasp from all present. Skywarp was by their leader before anyone could blink before motioning to us all in a gesture of Seeker origin that our 2ic was fine. Tensions high, Lord Megatron called a retreat.

All of us had yet to recover from the battle. The Decepticon base was in mourning, strange as it is to observe... it is a feat I have not witnessed in all my years of observation among the Decepticons. Here and there, there have been 'cons to mourn comrades fallen (we are mechs, just as the Autobots, and though we see things differently, we do have emotions and morals). But never of this magnitude. Even Lord Megatron was affected, remaining somber and fairly inactive, opting to remain in his quarters instead of the control room.

Rumble and Frenzy have already sworn for vengeance. They had done it in front of the stricken Dirge, offering their services nearly a day after the battle. A great number of other 'cons had agreed, loudly and proudly, anger filling their voices. Dirge had let out a nearly inaudible sob before grabbing onto Starscream and burying his helm in the commander's neck and shoulder. To Starscream's credit, he merely stood there, head bowed and wings shaking ever so slightly. Thundercracker and Skywarp circled them almost immediately, brushing the cone-head's wings gently and hugging their commander and Dirge protectively. The 'cons had left quickly at that point, giving the Seekers a respectful distance.

I hear everyone in the halls as Soundwave walks by, speak of the Autobot and what would be a better justice. None of them vote for a swift death. A week passed, and Dirge slowly come out of whatever trance he'd been in, though he would follow Starscream like a human puppy, wings twitching every so often. Starscream didn't seem to mind the hovering however, and I've noticed the command trine had remained a close unit the entire time. Not once has one been without the other 3.

The Seekers were quiet. They hardly ever left the base, even for the calm flight gives them. They were quick to follow commands (though they completed it as a group, though that didn't seem to bother anyone), and never spoke to others unless they were spoken to first. The normally aloof and arrogant fliers were docile, and it angered many Decepticons (which was the topic of choice when the 4 were not in the same room) to see them so.

I find myself leaving the base, without orders from Lord Megatron, to spy on the Autobots. It is something I have agreed with my brothers on. Ravage and I have decided we would take turns in patrols; spying on the 'bots so we may better infiltrate their base and understand their moves. To help the Seekers.


	3. ISpy

_**A/N : So, I think this is one of the few (if not, the only) chapter I'll be doing an Autobot persona. Say hello to the thought process of Mirage. Please note, I know absolutely nothing about his personality from the show. I only know what I've read through fanfics, so please don't get mad if I get something wrong. Also; I'm not very fond of this one. It was an idea that came to me, but I just can't get it to flow right. Any help would be appreciated.**_

I am classified as a Special Ops Spy. I fall under Jazz's command, which is... interesting. Jazz never lets one day be boring. We're always on our toes with him around. He's good at what he does, in turn, making us good at what we do. We're underestimated. Just the way Jazz likes it.

I am the best infiltrator we have in the Autobot ranks. Strictly because of my cloaking ability. Yes, I've been caught here and there, but for the most part, I can maneuver the Nemesis as easily as any Decepticon. I know practically every 'con's routine. If it weren't for Soundwave, I'd be able to slip in and end Megatron's life without anyone the wiser. Primus, I'd probably be able to disable half of the Earth-side faction before anyone figured out I was here.

Unfortunately, Soundwave can see me, even if no one else can. Most of the time, he lets me stick around, which doesn't make sense... but I've gone through times where I've looked him straight in the optic, and he merely turns away, only signaling others if I try anything. He doesn't make much sense, but I don't jynx my luck with him. Especially when he stands near Megatron when he spots me and lets me go.

This is one of those times. Megatron is beside Soundwave, looking over something Starscream has handed him. The red Seeker is surrounded by the three other remaining Seekers. Thundercracker on his left, Dirge directly to his right and Skywarp beside Dirge. Since observing them the entirety of the week, I haven't seen the four apart. I doubt they've been separate since the other two crashed over a month previous.

As that line of thought passes, I swear I see Soundwave tilt his head forward in the smallest of nods. The thought scares me a bit. Soundwave has a reputation of being a psychic, which I have come to believe with all of my spying on the ranks. It would explain why he can see me when no one else can. As well as why other 'cons always walk on "egg shells" around him.

Megatron makes a "hmm" sound before handing the datapad back to Starscream. The tyrant's optics are blazing, and he seems barely able to restrain his anger. Starscream looks ready to flee at this point, and his wing mates tighten their formation around him. Even Soundwave has stepped away from the silver mech. I wonder at the contents of the pad...

"These are devastating numbers," Megatron says, voice smooth and though full of anger, it is restrained. "You've run the calculation twice, correct Starscream?"

Starscream nods, face plates set in grim expression. "Three times even. There's going to be problems among the soldiers if word get out."

"Yes... they will certainly become troublesome if this is the case. Have you found anything that may be an alternative?" the leader is troubled, and I try to sneak closer to Starscream to catch what they may be talking about. But the flier moves the datapad in his hand to his side as he grimaces.

"Aside from the normal alternative? No, nothing jumps out."

It occurs to me that they are speaking around the apparent issue. I can only think of one issue they can possibly be talking about, and that is the lack of energon both of our factions face. But it feels to me as if this is not the case. I am barely able to sidestep Thundercracker as he shifts within an inch of me.

"What of the Constructicons? Are they prepared?"

Soundwave is the one who answers, "All units: Ready and Prepared. Awaiting orders."

Megatron shifted, and I froze as his optics looked "through" me. "Alright. We'll have to carry out plan B. The Autobots shouldn't be expecting anything, giving us a leg up. Make sure everyone knows to tread lightly, or I shall come after them."

I watch as Soundwave nods, and Starscream lets out a quiet, "Yes sir" that surprises me. As far as I'd ever been able to tell, Starscream never gave a respectful quip to Megatron. The crazy second in command always retorted with barely scaled back sarcasm, and occasionally, a shot in the back.

And with that, Megatron turns and stalks off. Soundwave faces the console he's standing in front of, and the Seekers turn the opposite direction of Megatron on an unspoken command. I hurry out to follow the fliers.

Dirge is lagging behind the others. His optics are out of focus and he doesn't notice me accidentally tap the edge of his wing. Or, if he does, he doesn't respond to it at all. Strange for a Seeker. Their wings are normally the most sensitive spot on their frames. Skywarp is closest to him, wings quivering slightly. Thundercracker is beside the black Seeker, and as I slip past, I see his optics flicker in my direction, as if he knows I'm with them. Starscream is still holding the pad in such a way I can't view the contents.

The Seekers have been a point of conversation since Thrust and Ramjet's crash on the battlefield. Bluestreak is both saddened and overjoyed of his accomplishment against the Decepticons. Some Bots seem happy with the turn around in the war. Others seem almost shocked that someone has actually been killed at this point. The war dynamics changed in our hibernation on Earth. We haven't managed to kill anyone since coming here. And the war on Cybertron fairs no different. Both sides have been at a stalemate for centuries.

But, with the loss of the two Cone Heads, things have reheated. I've heard Cons spitting Bluestreak's name in disgust, and I have heard them yelling for revenge. Many have started mini brawls, having to be broken up by Soundwave or Megatron. In silent data bursts to the Arc, I've mentioned all of this, hoping we'll be ready for them when they strike next.

After all, now that they've been riled, they're sure to be as hard to combat as they'd been on Cybertron.

We enter the quarters I recognize as the one Starscream and his wing mates reside in. Dirge quietly moves to a berth that has obviously been moved in for him. Thundercracker sits with him, both leaning against the wall, and Skywarp moves to another and lays down. Its not long before the three are in light recharge. Starscream sits on his own berth, tapping the datapad thoughtfully.

I silently move to his side, and I suppress a groan as he shifts the datapad face down beside him. I stand, watching him closely, trying to decide if I should hide and power down or if I should attempt to sneak a peak at the pad. Ultimately, I know it is not worth it, but that doesn't dissuade me and I inch for it. I get it nearly visible when Starscream's voice makes me jump.

"Foolish Autobot," he says quietly. For a moment, I hope he is merely speaking to himself. Often, when I observe him, he speaks of Skyfire to himself. This seems not to be the case, as he looks directly where I stand. His optics are hard though he sits relaxed. He knows I'm here. "You should learn it's not polite to spy."

I quietly shift out of reach and I flinch as I realize his gaze follows me as I move. I wonder how he learned where I was. My cloak was still up, and I was certain I hadn't made noise.

The second in command stands, and grabs my arm. My cloak instantly vanishes then. He glares at me, and it takes all of my control to keep from shivering. Crazy or not, Starscream is quite deadly, and I am fairly sure he's Second in Command for that reason. His glare intensifies. "Fool. Did you believe your presence to be unknown? You have a lot of nerve coming here and expecting to live. Many Decepticons want an Autobot to play with, and now that you've volunteered, perhaps Lord Megatron will allow it to them."

His use of "lord" in his sentence makes my optics shutter in surprise. It is said without malice or sarcasm. He says it proudly, and I wonder at what may have changed to have brought that out. The normally spiteful Seeker seemed... a loyal follower.

Before I realize it, Skywarp has warped us to a new room I recognize as Megatron's own. I hadn't realized Skywarp had even woken from recharge, so I feel more disoriented than I have in the past when I've been caught in a warp. Megatron is standing with his back to us as I get my bearings.

When he turns, I see a smile that stops my spark cold. He waves my captive to let go, and Starscream follows the order. Megatron smacks me before I can even think of escape. My helm cracks from the sheer force of the blow. "Mirage. Interesting that you have stuck around my base for so long. I would have thought you would have left days ago." At that, I freeze again.

"Soundwave told myself and Starscream of your presence the moment you were in range," the tyrant almost purrs. His voice sends a shiver through me. "Did you believe Soundwave to be silent about your trysts through our stronghold? Every time he senses you, we are notified. I have been nice and allowed you free reign on most occasions, but this time, I believe, you need to be put in your place."

Another blow makes me cry out. "All this time?" I let out, "Surely you'd have... scrapped me by now." I almost immediately regret saying this. He rips off a piece of my armor and scratches deeply at my protoform.

"I can name off all of the times you have visited us Autobot. I can also name off how long you've lingered here each time. Don't take me for a fool. I'm no stranger to the game I play now. You'll be lucky to live through this confrontation." Another hit to my protoform. It sends ripples of pain through my frame.

I let out a moan of pain before I can stop myself, and I catch sight of the damning smirk on the silver mech's facial plates. I wonder at the whole thing. I've been sneaking around the base all week. Only, now Megatron seems to have a problem with it. And why, if my "visits" are so well known, have I been allowed to keep coming back? Surely it can't be helping the Decepticons to have their plans found out...

I see Starscream in the corner, looking over the datapad once more. He's not paying any attention to the beat down in front of him. Curious. Megatron is still smirking when my optics gaze directly up at him.

I online with a jump and nearly crash into Ratchet. I shift my optics around the room, realizing I was back on the Arc. Searching my memory makes me flinch as I realize Megatron offlined me with another heavy hit to my helm. I'm shocked to be still among the living.

"We found you in the Nevada Desert," Ratchet says, reading my expression. "Half slagged. You're damn lucky we got there when we did."

I groan, leaning back against the med berth. Damn lucky, and damn confused.


	4. Play By Play

_ **A/N : This is the previous chapter, in Starscream's POV. Hopefully I can explain better a few things about the infiltration. I have a feeling I'm going to muck it up, so please excuse anything that ends up terribly written. As with the last, any help on improvement is appreciated.**_

_ "Be advised: Autobot Mirage is in the room,"_ Soundwave sends to Megatron and myself, helm bowed slightly, just as I hand the datapad to our leader. Interesting. I had assumed the Auto-idiot had left by this point. I barely keep a handle on the rage I feel suddenly. My trine mates at my side are angry as I forward this message to them. It takes effort for the four of us to keep our face plates neutral and not lung at the area Soundwave was showing us on our radars. Megatron stiffens slightly, but he does it in just a way that it seems to be as a result of looking through the information I've handed him.

My datapad merely holds a potential plan, pros and cons, for creating our own energon without having to steal from the humans on the planet. Without human involvement, the Autobots wouldn't be as aware of our activities, leaving us free to gather much needed supplies while having the Autobots get comfortable. Once we gather enough energy, we can attack to our leader's content. True, the Autobots may get suspicious and attack us, but if we cover our tracks well enough by making them suspect we're up to something else, they can't stop us.

Deception is all apart of the game after all.

Megatron makes a "hmm" sound before handing the pad back to me. He didn't look over it very thoroughly, and I fight back the anger at that. It wouldn't do to glitch out at the moment. Not that glitching is ever pleasant... But at least I can fight it back now. Thank Primus that Hook was able to make a break through on it. "These are devastating numbers." I flinch at the smooth anger in his voice, my processor telling me to run before I get slagged. "You've run the calculation twice, correct Starscream?"

There's something in his tone to suggest he's not referring to my datapad. Thinking as quick as I can, I come up with an alternate story. To one which I have also listed on a different pad. The soldiers would get rowdy if they heard our supply of high grade, as well as certain other frivolous items, are diminishing. Soundwave is aware of this, as his Cassettes often end up with inventory. "Three times even. There's going to be problems among the soldiers if word gets out."

A small shift of an eye ridge tells me Megatron is slightly amused with the response I've given. "Yes... they will certainly become troublesome if this is the case. Have you found anything that may be an alternative?" Interesting return. So he wasn't aware of that after all. Either that, or he's spinning a completely new story. Either is completely possible.

I sense, through Soundwave, Mirage stepping closer to me, and I shift so he can't read the pad. "Aside from the normal alternative? No, nothing jumps out." Thundercracker moves closer to where Soundwave indicates Mirage is, and for a moment I feel as if Thundercracker is going to jump the spy. I'd be immensly happy if he did, but I have a feeling our leader wouldn't be as thrilled. Megatron had his reasons after all... and as the spy has continually been allowed to live, I suspect Megatron has a plan for the spy.

"What of the Constructicons? Are they prepared?"

That question throws me a moment. Soundwave answers automatically though, so I merely twitch my wings. "All units: Ready and Prepared. Awaiting orders."

Megatron turns his gaze to Mirage, _"Make him suspect we're up to something else. Correct Starscream? This will aide in whatever theory you were reporting to me in the future." _I twitch my wings in a response I know he catches, rather than respond over the coms, showing I understand. I'll hand him my findings later. "Alright. We'll have to carry out plan B. The Autobots shouldn't be expecting anything, giving us a leg up. Make sure everyone knows to tread lightly, or I shall come after them."

Soundwave nods slightly and I respond to Megatron's half-afted order with a "Yes sir". Our leader turns to walk away and Soundwave turns back to his station. _"Starscream, Soundwave, if the spy tries anything, bring him to me. I think we're past allowing Autobots free reign of our base. He's over stayed his welcome."_

Without my asking, Soundwave continues to forward the Spy's location to me, and I in turn, continue to forward it to Thundercracker, Skywarp and Dirge. Dirge, though he is still immensely withdrawn, reports when Mirage brushes his wing tip. Thundercracker glares at Mirage in response as the spy tries to catch up with me. I can feel agitation from both Warp and TC.

I feel the same and it takes every ounce of control I have not to shoot the slagger. We still hadn't been able to revenge Thrust and Ramjet, and Mirage's presence in our base was making us angry beyond reason. Megatron hadn't relented his orders to allow Mirage's spying though, and so we were stuck. Until now... If that Autobot thinks he's going to look at my datapad, he's sorely mistaken. I won't let this plan backfire.

When we entire our quarters, I smirk deviously. The idiot follows us in without any regard to his life. I contact Megatron to expect Mirage's presence in his personal quarters in a few clicks, to which I receive an annoyed "hum" in response. I give an unspoken command to my wing mates to recharge "with one optic online" with a flick of my right wing and a concealed swish of my wrist. They immediately respond with a twitch of their wings and Dirge and TC sit against the wall on Dirge's berth as Skywarp rests his optics on his own.

I sit on my berth and tap my pad, bringing up a blank screen, just in case the Bot got lucky and saw the screen. As Mirage moves closer, I shift and set the datapad beside me, and I inwardly smirk at the near palpable frustration I get in response. As he moves closer to attempt to view the pad, I let out an annoyed though quiet, "Foolish Autobot." I can feel the brush of air suggesting I'd startled him. Had Soundwave not been showing me his location, I would have thought my sensors overactive.

I look directly at "him", though all I see myself is the wall on the other side of the room. "You should know it's not polite to spy." As the blip on my radar steps away, I follow with my optics. Panic. I could feel it starting to poison the air, and it makes me grin with anticipation. Before he can complete another step back, I've stood and grabbed his arm. Strange to feel an arm when optic sensors are telling you nothing is there. That sensation lasts for only a moment as Mirage drops his cloak. I feel him shiver.

"Fool. Did you believe your presence to be unknown? You have a lot of nerve coming here and expecting to live. Many Decepticons want an Autobot to play with, and now that you've volunteered, perhaps Lord Megatron will allow it to them." I say all of this merely as a wake up call for Skywarp, who had fallen into deeper recharge than planned. My words as well as a prodding through the bond from TC wake him, and my third slips behind us and warps us to Megatron's quarters when I order it through the bond.

Megatron is standing when we arrive. As I shake off the effects of the warp and Skywarp disappears, our leader turns to us with a nasty smile I normally only see when I've glitched out and it takes all of my will power not to flinch. A wave tells me to let Mirage go, and I do so quickly before stepping back. A powerful hit sends Mirage to the floor. Having felt that particular hit before, I feel for the Autobot a moment.

I bring my datapad up and study the plan I'd outlined before. I heard Megatron talking, and I tried to keep my attention off of it. Calculations still ring true, just as they had before, meaning we should be fine to make our own power plant in a secure location, or even, on base if our leader wants. So long as he's fine with the drilling the Constructicons are going to have to do. And as long as we can keep the Autobots from infiltrating and destroying the plant (and subsequently the base), everything _should_ run smoothly.

I glance up as Skywarp makes a sudden appearance with Dirge and Thundercracker. Mirage is unconscious, but still living it seems. Anticipation flows through the trine bond, and I see Dirge's wings quiver with it as well. Its then I realize what is being planned. So long as he's not killed, Dirge can beat the slag out of Mirage to his spark's content.

Megatron is planning something. Or maybe he's just making an example.


	5. Patrol

_**A/N : So, I realized… I had completely forgotten my one shot fics! I don't have a clue how that happened, but I decided, as I suddenly got inspiration, to create the next little ficlit. I actually like this one a bit, cause I find some of the interaction cute. I didn't spend much time on it, meaning it could definitely be better… but oh well. And, I figured that Dirge needed a POV as I did end up killing off his trine…**_

I miss them.

It was odd to me, even now, that they were truly gone… nearly six human months since the… incident. They were never coming back. I had truly lost those who meant most to me. All of the arguments we had shared, wishing we weren't trine, or that we never want to see each other's ugly mugs again… they stung me, as now, I wish those things had never been said. I wished they were with me now.

The Command Trine had yet to shoo me away. I was grateful for their mercy, as I didn't want to be alone. There were no other trines on Earth, and only three on Cybertron. No room for an extra, trine-less Seeker anywhere. I knew I was annoying them though… the agitation in Thundercracker and Skywarp's frames as the days passed told me that much. But nothing was said.

So I kept trailing them… everywhere. I'm not as ashamed as I should have been that I was so clingy. I missed my trine something fierce… And though the Command Trine wasn't my own, I felt better with them. Not by much… but it was something.

I did seem to be monopolizing Commander Starscream's attention however, and I made the mental note to stop that. It was no wonder his wing mates were annoyed with me. Had a different Seeker been following Ramjet and taking up all of his time, Thrust and I would have jumped him… Trine-less or not. But the Command Trine, though annoyed, seemed to take it all in stride.

"Primus this is boring…" Skywarp groused, twirling lazily from his position of left wing. My trine or not, I wanted nothing more than to take that spot up. It felt weird flying in Ramjet's spot of our doctored mass formation. I was _not_ Second point leader. But I flew it now, feeling all the more lost and exposed as we continued our perimeter sweep.

Starscream flicked a wing. A warning to Skywarp to shut up. So the commander was in one of his _moods._ A dangerous thing for every mech in the vicinity. I tightened my flight pattern.

I had to agree though. This was our first flight while on duty since… _then_. It was nice to be out and about, as we rarely flew, originally on Hook's order while were evaluated, and then on Starscream's own suggestion while he "took stock" of how we were coping with the changes. It was hard on his trine, I knew, having a fourth wing, and not having the traditional second and third points in formation.

We had had an evaluation period when we'd lost Windwhistler's trine in a battle for Praxus before we'd left Cybertron. Acid Rain's Points had taken up for us while Starscream shifted our formation around. Without second point, we were shuffled into it, and then shifted.

Traditionally, second point was off of Thundercracker's right wing, while we, as third point, were off of Skywarp's left. Starscream shifted us to fly directly behind his trine, creating a triangle formation, instead of promoting Acid Rain's trine to third point, something the Rainmakers were still upset about.

Back then, I had thought it strange as well.

But now I wondered if Starscream had had a reason for leaving our little unit one short. We worked it through well enough…

It also made me wonder how the Cybertron Trines were doing. We didn't hear much about them here on this planet… Shockwave left them out of most of his reports… something Commander Starscream disliked greatly, I knew… More than once he could be heard denouncing the Guardian's reports…

Thundercracker swooped down toward the ocean below us; his lazy barrel roll showing us exactly how bored he was, allowing his wing tips to skim the waters. Skywarp followed his lead, twirling just slightly after him on the opposite side. Starscream seemed to slow down as well; probably annoyed that his wingmates weren't following the flight anymore; and it took a lot of effort to keep myself from ramming as I tried to figure out his pace.

TC and Warp were… playing. Relaxing in a way I had seen them do all of once the entire time I'd known them. While in the middle of our patrol route. How… appropriate of them. Thrust normally tried to initiate several moments of play within our patrols. Ramjet normally shot him down… sometimes literally. We did however, have our moments of free time in the air.

I miss our playful banter.

Taking me by complete surprise, Starscream fell out of point. His wings twitched with an odd cadence I have never seen from him before he practically fell toward the ocean. He caught himself a mere inch before his undercarriage touched, and he burst forward. He was the fastest Seeker… ever. And he loved flying. I knew he did.

He had far too much grace and response to _not_, and beside that fact, he was a Seeker. All Seekers loved flight. But in this case, he flew as if there was no war. As if he wasn't our commander. An odd occurrence for me, as he had never flown like this around… well, anyone.

He flew upward, and suddenly Thundercracker and Skywarp joined him, spinning around him. They kept climbing upward, and I followed their trajectory as they went. As they reached the apparent peak of the climb, all three fell toward the ocean waters in a free fall. I remembered Ramjet doing something like this once, when we had first come to this planet… it had been on our first fly run out of the Nemesis.

All three of them were moving in perfect unison though. There was no difference between them. They were a trine with an odd dynamic, with the strange personality mix, but they made it work and put the rest of us to shame. That was why they were Command.

Skywarp suddenly vanished in a flash of purple and gray light, and Thundercracker shifted out of his alt mode; swinging himself to be perpendicular to the surface of the water, and he spun around as he regained some height, passing over me as he did. Starscream however, surprised me again. Instead of pulling out of his dive, he submerged with a hearty splash.

I felt a flash of panic. The commander had been in a free fall, far too fast to have been safe. He had probably broken several things with the resultant collision. Contrary to some belief, water was _not_ soft, as Rumble had demonstrated once.

I shifted out of my alt and just stared. I heard a chuckle behind me, and turned an odd glance to the blue and orange Seeker. He didn't seem worried at all. And he was smiling. I almost shouted at him, wondering if he was processing correctly. His trine leader had probably hurt himself, especially as he hadn't emerged, and yet he was just floating there?

That was when I felt a hand on my pede.

I hadn't realized I was so close to the surface of the water.

I went under faster than I could process. The odd spectrum of liquid confused me slightly, but I could make out a dark face. Smirking. Commander Starscream had pulled me underwater. And as the water shifted around us, I knew that Thundercracker, who now was seeable from my peripheral vision, had entered the icy Atlantic as well.

Judging by the frown, I figured it hadn't been willingly, and when I looked around him, I caught a purple and black wing. Skywarp must have pulled him under as well.

Starscream suddenly left the waters, and I followed, more out of instinct. I sensed that the other two had as well, and we hovered above the surface a moment, staring at each other. Starscream lifted both of his wings ever so slightly, telling us to fall in. Thundercracker bolted.

A brief flash of annoyance suddenly washed over Skywarp and I wondered what was going on. Starscream, strangely, let out a small laugh, earning a… raspberry as the humans called it. The commander tapped my wing, and I followed him quickly, completely failing at understanding what was going on.

But it seemed fine that we were no longer following what protocol dictated…

The two of us chased after Thundercracker. Starscream, of course, was the one who caught up to him and he tackled his second wing with no restraint, tumbling them both back into the waters. I shivered slightly. The waters were only _that_ much colder on a hot turbine or wing.

But… Starscream was still above the water. Dead in front of me, smirking as only he could. But I had seen them _both_ go under, hadn't I?

Skywarp grinned from around the commander.

I gaped as Thundercracker surfaced, sputtering. Skywarp had grabbed Starscream just before he'd gone under and warped away, so quickly, I hadn't even seen his warp gate.

"Let's try this again," Starscream said, sounding annoyed, although his facial plates were still smiling. He shifted his wings upward, silently commanding us to fall into our previous diamond formation. We did so without fail this time.

Not long later, we were flying along our patrol route once more. I still had no idea what just happened, but I knew… I felt much better than I had in a while.


	6. Misdirection

The Autobots are afraid of us; their fear assures our victory.

Dirge flies overhead, more confident than any of us have seen in a long time, and he is pushing all of the Autobots, controlling their emotions. Some have already fallen back.

It pleases me, to see my mechs like this. They have been an intolerable mass of depressed metal, pacing the corridors in agitation for months. Their combined anger at the loss of the two Seekers has made for an impressive bout.

Swindle ducks a shot, firing back with a nasty grin that makes me proud. Ravage pounces one of the infernal "Lambo Twins" as they attempt a game of… what was it called? _Jet Judo,_ effectively taking their attention from my Elites as they fly over head. Barricade backs the Cassette, tackling the other twin from behind.

All of this, I witness from my spot on the cliffs.

This plan is merely a decoy. One Starscream suggested a few Earth weeks ago. Had he not already presented the plan to Soundwave, I might have thought him glitching once more. But it seemed, my luck with a mercifully _competent_ Second in Command was continuing.

They were correct. Strange as it was to admit. The drilling of our new energy source was a success so far, and the Autobots hadn't yet picked up on it. But it would only be a matter of time if we didn't create a farce. Keep the enemy off our backs by pretending to be up to something else. Far too much quiet time had elapsed anyway. My Decepticons want… needed action.

Prime moves.

Up until this moment, the Autobot leader has been locked in combat with our own twin terrors; Runabout and Runamuck. It seems one of the twins has been brought down, though alive, as I hear through radio chatter.

I lunge from my spot, landing on top of the repeat offender of being a thorn in my side. If I was ever able to destroy him, there would be no doubt that my Decepticons would reign supreme. His look of surprise never fails to amuse me. Almost as if he had no idea I have been here for as long as I have been.

"Hello Prime," I greet mockingly. It has become a routine. I frown as that crosses my processor. That is what this war has become. Though this battle, and the one previous have been a change, it is still a maddening thing. The loss of the Seekers has reignited the bloodlust between our factions. One we shouldn't have lost to begin with.

"Megatron." Prime's voice is a growl, and he pushes me away from him. There's an odd glint in his optics. Much more harsh than I have ever seen in him. It makes me pause, trying to work out where it had come from.

Shaking my helm, I sneer at him, falling into a strictly offensive stance. "Shall we end this dance?" Prime copies my movement. In my peripheral, I see Starscream rise in altitude, far above any of us, and his Trine and Dirge scatter. Special tactics. Something they hadn't done in a _very_ long time.

"_Decepticons, be advised: Seekers commencing Battle Formation Trypta._" Soundwave called over all of our frequencies. A burst of pride swelled through me as I heard the comm. chatter rise an octave in response.

A strong hook connects with my jaw in that moment, earning a grunt of surprise. I glare at my opponent, "A nice hit brother. Unfortunately, you'll need a bit more power in your swing than that." I kick out at the red and blue chassis. "Too bad that was your only chance."

"You talk too much Megatron!" the declaration makes me pause once more. Normally… _Prime_ is the talkative one. Every encounter, he speaks of peace… of love and friendship… of _closure_. As if that would ever happen… The Autobots will never share their lives with Decepticons, and Decepticons have suffered too much from Autobot hands to feel… _welcomed_. Not that they care about feeling welcomed, of course.

"As the pathetic squishlings say, Prime, "This is the Pot calling the Kettle black"." Saying the ridiculous cliché was worth the stunned expression I saw now. The sucker punch I threw in was an added bonus.

Engines roared over us, and my enemy flinches back, making me smirk. The combined thrusters of Thundercracker and Dirge is an awesome one. Many bots, in fact, cower around the battlefield as the two Seekers fly over head, wingtip to wingtip. I take advantage of Prime's hesitation, pushing him backward, making the esteemed leader fall on his aft.

"Give up Optimus."

"Never!"

My optics narrow. "Not your best idea Prime." Without a second thought, I aim my plasma gun and fire.

If I had truly believed that would be the end of it, I would label myself the fool and bow out of this war immediately. As I expected, Prime dodged the blast and rolled away to recover. I followed move for move.

At least, I tried too. The ground suddenly became the sky, and my intakes were clogged with dirt. Something sharp was digging into my back struts… and there was fire around me. Taking a moment to consult my systems, my optics go wide.

"_Slagger from the PIT! Cover Frenzy!"_

"_Fraggin… Prowl's got me pinned down!"_

"_I need back up! Hook, rendezvous with Blackout! Keep a hold of this!"_

All airwaves are going crazy with curses and orders. What the Pit just happened? Prime was laying on his back a ways off, offline, but obviously recovering. The earth around us is scorched black and smoldering, littered with charred remains. I look around, mentally tallying who's left.

Barricade and the entire Cassette team are hindering the Autobot Medic, who was trying to make his way presumably toward Prime. Ironhide was providing a challenge from beside the white mech, obviously playing body guard. Breakdown and a few others are firing on a group of bots with ugly snarls. Soundwave stood not far from where he'd been last I'd seen him, a silver mass of metal at his pedes.

The silver sniper. I smirk at the sight.

It fades quickly however. I can' find my Seekers anywhere. They were completely missing from the skies.

Starscream. It had to have been because of him. Perfect timing. Miserable slagger. "_Soundwave; Status!_" I call, optics returning to my loyal third. Something shining amidst the burnt ground catches my attention, though I try to ignore it. My sensors are picking up on signs of previous life. It is a wing. Horribly mangled, but… still definable as having once belonged to one of my Seekers. One of them is down, possibly offlined.

"_Decepticons: Scattered. Suggestion: Retreat. Majority of forces: Damaged. Autobots: Scattered and retreating._"

"_Fine, call a retreat then_," I growl, glaring at him from my current position still on the ground. My equilibrium won't let me stand up further. At least, not for long. I turn my glare back at Prime. He would be so easy to kill… but his set of twins apparently arrived when we both went down. They weren't paying me a single glance, and I don't know whether to be…_ grateful_ or annoyed. "_Where are the Seekers?_" I growl over my comm. line. When I caught up to Starscream…

"_Thundercracker and Skywarp: Recovered and receiving medical care. Commander Starscream: Offline within enemy lines. Combaticons and others attempting recovery. Dirge: Deactivated._" Soundwave is a mech of little inflection, but his words are what conveyed it all to me. The use of Starscream's rank told me my second wasn't behind this. The Combaticons and others in Recovery status, confirmed it.


	7. Med Bay

They'd been unsuccessful. There was a bitter air all around that would just not dissipate. It was sour and left many with disgusted looks as they each trudged around the base. It left tempers high, despite the severity of wounds. Med Bay on the Nemesis had never before been so very full of bodies needing repair.

Truly, it was surprising that they were all here willingly. But that may have been more because Knockout was on shift instead of Hook. Not that the Constructicon wasn't still hovering around the Med Bay himself. He was happily content to assist, prodding wounds with almost glee, even while humming about how his work was under-appreciated. Everyone was doing their best to avoid him.

Which meant that Knockout was a bit busier than he truly wanted to be.

He gave a deadpan look at the current mech on his med berth. This mech was frothing at the mouth mad and complaining up a storm about how damaged he'd gotten during the assault, and to add insult to it all, that they'd not even accomplished the original mission. "How hard could it have been to take that forsaken plant?" the mech raged. Knockout rolled his optics, pulling away as the mech moved and shook his fist in agitation.

Unfortunately, that question was the one needed to spark the rest of the room all over again, and jeers and snarls rose around the Med Bay. "How the slag did we let those slagheaps take so much?" another voice asked rather loudly, hearable even amongst the cacophony. "Why did we turn like organic canines?"

"Alright, alright, all of you just settle down," the glossy red medic called, annoyed. He hadn't been in the battle zone, for which he was quite grateful. With the amount of damage even Megatron himself had taken? He was glad to have missed it. He didn't need a repeat.

"How the frag did they even catch the Seekers off guard?" that voice belonged to an enraged Cassette, although which one was anyone's guess as their entire unit was currently sharing one of the berths in the back. But, as Ravage tended to only growl or hiss, and Buzzsaw and Lazerbeak were basically mute, it would have been one of the twins, both of whom looked to be barely online. "If they hadn't caught a lucky break and killed Dirge, we woulda won!"

And there went the Med Bay.

Knockout ducked as something flew in his general direction with a silent squawk. Various instruments were being smashed, and thrown around. He reacted more out of instinct than anything as he caught a glimpse of something aimed as his helm. His staff clicked from its place on his hip, and as he grabbed it, it extended. He swung, both hands firmly gripping the end. The sound it made…

It was a very loud **crack**. The object was batted away, almost harmlessly, toward the entrance. But it had made every single one of the Decepticons in the room stop where they were and turn to look at him. Rather surprised at the sound issued from what had appeared to be nothing more than a lightweight item, but not showing it, he relaxed his stance with a spin of the staff.

Hook's growl drew everyone's attention not a moment later. "This is Med Bay, not the Rec Room. If you all wish to start a fight, take it where breakables that are keeping some mechs alive aren't going to be caught range." For emphasis, he smacked a still grievously injured yet still very boisterous Barricade, who yelped. No one moved. Nor did they say anything.

A miracle in this place.

Knockout smirked, shaking his helm, even as he turned back to his current patient. Runabout wasn't pleased, and he glared at the red medic. "It really wasn't fair," the twin grumbled, just loud enough for him to hear. "They shouldn't have been able to take out the Seekers. And we shouldn't have had trouble retrieving Starscream."

Knockout's brow ridges rose. He hadn't heard exactly what had happened. All he knew was that Dirge had been KIA and the rest of the force had been in disarray. Although… he glanced around, still tightening a loose connection in the twin's chassis. He'd seen every mech that had gone out. Megatron had stalked out almost immediately, and Soundwave had been hot on his heels. Thundercracker and Skywarp both were laying on berths not far away, unconscious from their damage. There was no sign of Starscream.

"Dirge just…" the black mech's optics focused somewhere far away, once more drawing Knockout's attention. "He just collided with Scream. No warning. It rained fire and Seeker parts on me and everyone else." Knockout shifted grimly at the rather gruesome image. "The explosion knocked even Megatron and Prime down… though they were right there…"

Knockout shook himself, eying the mech carefully. Runabout was displaying symptoms of shock. If he was, how many others were? Hook didn't much care for healing those aspects, even if it was dangerous. He kept the growl to himself. More than half of the army was effectively out of commission.

"Take it easy, Bout," he said carefully. No Decepticon liked to be pitied. Most didn't even like being spoken too in soft tones. But in this case, he could warrant it. Let the twin get upset later. "We'll take it one step at a time. Once you're healed, you can pound away at the Autobots to your spark's content for this infraction. With Megatron's OK, of course."

"Starscream was damaged real bad," a different mech said, earning both his and Runabout's attention. Blackout was standing against the wall. He held a few telling scratches and dings, but looked otherwise alright. Knockout's optics narrowed. His rotors weren't falling right. So that was his main reason for sticking around this long. "I doubt he'd have survived long without immediate medical."

That was sobering. Starscream had been thoroughly fragged on multiple occasions, sometimes even by those on his own side when that glitch of his acted up. But he'd proven he was rather tenacious and stubborn. He'd always been able to bounce back from whatever was thrown his way. And judging by what he could see of Thundercracker and Skywarp, they should have come online by now.

Making a face, he moved toward the Seekers, drawing once more, the attention of the entire room. The sounds that had begun to grow louder as time passed cut off with a sudden snap as he reached Skywarp's berth. He was half tempted to throw a rude gesture out there for them all to see, but… that would probably set them all off again.

He stared at the black Seeker. He could list the injuries easily visible without problem. Skywarp's self-repair had taken care of most of the injuries before he'd arrived here. Hook had patched the rest rather quickly not long ago before moving on to a more alert patient. There wasn't really much to the Seeker's medical pad.

And Thundercracker was the same.

So then, why _hadn't_ they come online? In his medical opinion, it had to do with Starscream's predicament. Dirge, however, had only remained offline for the time it had taken to get him to the base those months past. Thundercracker and Skywarp had "overslept".

Still though, he was careful with his prodding. Dirge had been quite violent when he'd first awoken. There was no telling how these two would react. He wanted to avoid being scratched as best as was possible.

Grumbling incoherently to himself, he removed a wire from his wrist and glared at it. This was something that made him regret not becoming a full medic before the academy went up in flames. He wasn't able to perform deep scans, and so was reduced to hard-line connections. Unpleasant and harsh on both mech's CPUs, it was usually only used in dire situations.

Steeling himself, he found a connector at Skywarp's own wrist and felt the rush of the whole process assault his processes. His HUD was overlaid with Skywarp's own, and everything Skywarp felt was transferred to him. He probably hissed or cried out. He really didn't care at the moment. There were errors pointing to things that needed attention when there was time. Skywarp was also in need of fuel, though not desperately so. It was overshadowed, really, by the sharp pain in his spark.

But, as he physically opened the flier's spark chamber, vaguely sensing Hook watching from behind, he could find nothing wrong. He palmed his helm, annoyed. The problem was certainly the Trine Bond, then. There wasn't much he could do for that.

Except, he knew Starscream wasn't deactivated. He could, in a weird, ghostly way, still sense Starscream though Skywarp's spark, just as he could sense Thundercracker in a bit stronger kind of way. The pain was from Starscream's end. He could figure that much.

"Ugh," he intoned, forcing himself to disconnect. It was hard enough being in someone else's casing without feeling two others by extension.

"What did you do?" he heard Hook ask, surprised. That tone was enough to make Knockout turn to him with a wary expression. That was when he realized that half the room was gawking in his general direction. The CMO pointed at Skywarp, making Knockout turn again.

Skywarp was twitching. Not in a bad way. He was waking up. Knockout blinked, surprised. Vibrant, almost purple optics unique to the teleporter, blinked online, cloudy and dazed though they were. On the next berth over, Thundercracker's own orange red optics did the same. Skywarp was the first to speak, though. His optics danced around what he could see of the room, and he groaned. "Star?"

_**A/N: So, I finally got around to updating this thing! I have no idea why Knockout decided to be written this way. I think I prefer the style like this instead of 1**__**st**__** person. What do you think? I hope the next chapter won't take as long as this one to be put out, but, as I'm working of War Front, I may switch off between the two stories.**_


	8. Awakening

The moment Starscream came back to awareness, he realized that he wasn't on Nemesis. It had less to do with the physical surroundings and more to do with the sounds and overall _feel_. There was no familiarity. For as often as he'd dragged himself down to Med Bay, he knew the whirs and blips and what have you to the point of memorization.

Not to mention that Hook would be in his face whining at him before he'd even woken up, or Knockout would be frowning, scanning him with annoyance, making sure his glitch didn't show up unannounced. Routine.

He could feel paranoia settling in, and he pushed it back with a grimace. This, however, would be a rather large test, tied down as he was by stasis cuffs. Were the surroundings not so alarming, he probably would be reduced to a screaming, tantrum-y wreck.

He was on edge, though. And the alien layout of the room was mostly to blame. It wasn't Nemesis, nor was it the ARK. He knew what the Autobot ship looked like: Gaudy orange colored, but distinctly Iaconian design with a few Praxian influences. This room was obviously a human facility, large enough for Cybertronians of even larger builds to stand with room to spare. The human devices he could spy were small replicas of their larger Cybertronian versions, while further and higher up were devices of seemingly human origin in Cybertronian scale.

He frowned, wings twitching beneath him. Prisoner of unknown captives in an unknown and… he glared; _underground_ facility for unknown reasons that only hinted at things he didn't want to think about. What the frag had happened anyway?

Suddenly he realized he wasn't in very decent shape. Errors that he'd been ignoring to the point of not even realizing they were present lit up his HUD and parts of his body either felt on fire or numb. "One pit of a crash…" he croaked, wincing at the sound of his already scratchy voice laced with static. It stung to speak. And his comm. was disabled.

Crash. From how he felt, there was no doubting the cause. But how? He prided himself on his reflexes, acrobatics and observation. Sure, he'd crashed before, but usually from a combination of being shot down by heavy artillery fire, taken by surprise and Skywarp being unable to respond to get him/the Trine out of the danger zone.

Starscream almost growled. His helm hurt.

So, where was he? If he'd gone down, he'd done so surrounded by either Decepticons or Autobots, as, he did vaguely remember a battle. They had just taken up Special Tactics, in fact, finally able to expend the effort thanks to an increase in Energon stores. His fiery optics narrowed and he shuddered.

Something… Someone… one of his Seekers… they had sideswiped him high above the ground battle. That was why he hadn't reacted. Or why Skywarp hadn't picked up on the danger. The need to hadn't been expected.

Why had Dirge's flight path varied? Dirge was far from Elite material, but he was a better flier now than he'd been at the start of the war. After so much time flying with the Conehead Trine, both teams knew each other better than most would even realize. They could predict each other's moves without needing to read the subtle cues all fliers used in flight. And that hadn't been an accidental or glancing blow.

Wing taps and small scrapes were understandable and unavoidable. Especially if you weren't paying complete attention to the immediate air around you. And yet… while Dirge had recovered significantly over the last few weeks, he was far from ready to be put into a firefight. He wasn't comfortable in his new position, and far from comfortable without his Trine. But a full on collision? At the speeds they'd been flying?

He groaned. He had to get out of this place and question Dirge himself if he wanted answers. Was Dirge here also? He raised his helm with a scowl, glancing around. Angry and half tempted as he was to leave him here if he was, it wasn't… as Command Point, he couldn't do such a thing. Not in this scenario. He'd be scrapped if he left one of his only remaining Seekers in an underground facility. Escape would be most difficult.

Could he himself even fly? His HUD indicated severe damage to his right thruster and wing. Superficial scrapes and scratches littered his frame, but while he'd had worse, some were over vital flaps and stabilizers that were often detrimental in flight. One even had a fatal error, suggesting it was completely inoperable. He really shouldn't be able to fly. But if he could get off the ground, he would. All he had to do was get free and find Dirge.

He'd broken out of some pretty crazy scenarios while on Megatron's bad side over the vorns. This would be no different. Confident, he tested his bindings. They weren't stasis cuffs. But they were of Cybertronian make. He frowned slightly. Medical restraints. That could be problematic. Nothing was more tricky than medical restraints. Everything had a weak point, but those had always given him trouble.

He moved his arm, trying to gage the strength. Not overly powerful. That was good, at least. Whoever his captors were didn't realize his many talents. But they still lay close on his frame. Over each arm, leg and one big one over his cockpit. There wasn't much wiggle room.

The sound of humans broke his concentration. It was a unique sound to the species. A mix of their version of a fuel pump, whispered breaths and squishes. He turned to face them, full strength behind his glare. They stared back from behind goggles and glasses and masks, each individual member armed with multiple weapons. He had to admit. They were prepared little vermin. The weaponry he recognized as a caliber capable of piercing Cybertronian outer armor.

"_Ah. My apologies,"_ the voice drew his attention from the humans. Spoken Cybertronian. It was a rare sound these days. Starscream frowned, suddenly wondering when it was they had taken on the primary Human language of English in their daily lives.

The mech was canary yellow and a blue that reminded him of the ocean around Nemesis, woven in designs around his frame. A Cybertronian tattoo. The mech was from Altihex. Which, upon belated realization, explained why the human facility had decidedly Altihex influences… There was a faded, but present sigil on the mech's chassis. Decepticon. _"I had not realized that you had come online just yet."_ He smirked down at Starscream.

The Seeker replied in kind. _"You realize that you have sealed your Death Warant by deciding it a good idea to keep me alive as a prisoner, yes?"_ His vocals may have been scrapped, but he was still able to say it with every ounce of baring he possessed, resulting in a deadly, velvety purr. It was a sound that would have had Megatron himself on edge and at the ready with his fusion cannon.

This mech stupidly waved him off as if it were of no consequence. _"So long as you are a guest in our little abode, I do not think I will have a problem."_ He glanced toward something in front of him out of Starscream's sight.

"_Better hope I do not get free then,"_ the tri-colored Seeker Commander spat, wriggling his fingers in emphasis. Whether the mech saw it or not, he didn't know or care at the moment. He was too focused on trying to ID the mech. Obviously he'd not seen this mech since Nemesis left Cybertron all those long millennia ago, but even then, he couldn't really recall who this was. Either way, kidnapping a higher officer would result in death. Especially if it was Starscream on the receiving end.

"_He will not get loose. Not from those restraints. And who would come for his sorry aft?"_ That was a different voice, and it made him jump despite himself. The boisterous laughter didn't help his anxiety. _"Traitor of a Seeker. It's a shock he's still online as it is."_

"Hey! English for those of us who don't speak Alien!" a human voice called from the gaggle.

"_Pathetic humans,"_ the mech currently out of Starscream's sight mocked. The one he could see rolled his faded pink tinted optics, but turned to them with an easy smile. It was a smile that, were he not already so, would have put Starscream on edge.

"I beg your forgiveness, friends. I'm sure you understand the difficulties of second languages."

"Not really an excuse. You came here. You use the language." What an insolent little human. Any self-respecting Decepticon would have stomped on it. But the visible mech merely nodded.

"Right. We will be sure to speak so that you can understand."

"_You do that."_ Starscream couldn't keep the snide rebellion from his tone. _"I will keep to my own language."_

"Speak English for our friends, would you?"

"_Frag off. I do not speak it."_ The Air Commander grinned_**. "However, if you really do not like my speaking standard, I can switch to Seeker Cant. Although, you have no idea what I am saying, and you do not deserve to hear it."**_

"_What did he say?"_ the missing mech asked, confusion evident. _"It is hard enough keeping up with the human's awful racket."_

"Hey!"

"My apologies," annoyance was now tangible. It made Starscream feel smug, if only for such a small victory. "My companions are being stubborn. I'll be sure to correct the infractions. For now, I ask for time with our guest to get him… situated."

The humans made a noise Starscream couldn't determine. "Just be sure we get the call when you're ready to go." The human who spoke, Starscream couldn't see him, but he audibly sneered.

"Of course, Sylus." The Seeker mentally grimaced. This did not bode well for things to come.

**S/N: I hope that piece went well enough. I was supposed to get this out last week, but I've been slacking on the typing. Anyway, I realized at the end here, that I've put Prime references in the last two chapters. Not terrible, right? As far as Sylus goes… is that how you spell his name? I know of CYLUS or something like that, but that's robo dude. Feedback would be amazing!**


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